• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.59-63
• /
• 1996

Human sparganosis is a rare parasitic disease in which the larval cestode proliferates in the various organs in the body. It usually presents as a subcutaneous or soft tissue mass. By fine needle aspiration this lesion can be diagnosed with its characteristic cytologic findings. We experienced 3 cases of sparganosis diagnosed by the fine needle aspiration. Aspirates were taken from subcutaneous mass in the abdomen and both thighs respect ively. The aspirates showed a portion of body of sparganum with numerous calcospherules, smooth muscles and tegmental cells. They also revealed granulomas with various inflammatory infiltration of eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and plasma cells.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.223-228
• /
• 1984

Seven cases of surgically proven sparganosis were serologically tested by means of microELISA for their specific IgG antibody levels. For that purpose, crude saline extract of spargana from snake, Natrix tigrina lateralis was prepared and used as antigen. The sparganosis sera were also tested with Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens to observe the cross reactivity. A total of 71 sera from normal control, ectopic and pulmonary paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis, cysticerCOSIS and Taenia saginata cases were also included. Except for one case of old calcified infection, all of 6 human sparganosis showed higher serum levels of specific IgG antibody when the differential point of positive reaction was set at the absorbance value of 0.25 (the sensitivity being 85.7%). In control and other helminthic infections, all except 3 cases of T. saginata infection showed negative reaction to sparganum antigen (the specificity being 90.7%). None of sparganosis cases showed cress reactivity to Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens. Undiluted cerebrospinal l1uid also showed high levels of antibody when central nervous system was invaded. The serologic diagnosis by means of micro ELISA could be a useful tool in epidemiological study of human sparganosis in susceptible population, as well as in individual diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.81 no.5
• /
• pp.1210-1215
• /
• 2020

Sparganosis is an uncommon human parasitic infection caused by plerocercoid cysts of the genus Spirometra. Sparganosis of the neck is a rare condition, thus making it difficult to diagnose. It is often initially misdiagnosed as a lymphadenopathy or a soft tissue tumor. Herein, we describe a rare case of apparent sparganosis presenting as a palpable mass in the left neck of a 53-year-old female patient. Imaging studies played a key role in the diagnosis. In this case report, we emphasize that sparganosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a palpable superficial mass. We also stress the importance of meticulous radiological review in the context of appropriate clinical suspicion.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.3
• /
• pp.309-313
• /
• 2020

Human sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection and migration of the plerocercoid of Spirometra spp. Although sparganosis were reported from most parts of the body, the sparganum parasitizing inside cerebral artery is remarkably uncommon. We report a case of cerebral intravascular sparganosis in an elderly patient with acute ischemic stroke who was diagnosed by retrieving sparganum during mechanical thrombectomy. Finally, the parasites were identified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei using multiplex PCR and cox1 gene sequencing.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.85-88
• /
• 2010

We analyzed parasitic diseases diagnosed by tissue biopsy specimens at KyungHee Medical Center (KMC) from 1984 to 2005. The total number of parasite infection cases was 150 (0.07%) out of the total 211,859 biopsy specimens submitted for histopathological examinations. They consisted of 62 cysticercosis, 23 sparganosis, 16 paragonimiasis, 15 amebiasis, 11 anisakiasis, 11 clonorchiasis, 3 ascariasis, 2 scabies, 2 enterobiasis, 2 trichuriasis, 1 leishmaniasis, 1 taeniasis, and 1 thelaziasis. Out of 62 cysticercosis cases, 55 were detected in subcutaneous tissues or the central nerve system. Eighteen out of 23 sparganosis cases were involved in muscular and subcutaneous tissues. In most anisakiasis cases, the involved organ was the stomach. The lung and the pleura were the most common site of paragonimiasis. The incidence of parasitic diseases during the first 5 years (1984-1988) was the highest of all observed periods. After 1989, similar incidences were shown throughout the period. Whereas cysticercosis was diagnosed in 34 cases during 1984-1988, no case has been diagnosed since 2000. In the case of sparganosis, the chronological incidence was almost uniform throughout the period 1984-2005. Paragonimiasis showed a similar tendency to cysticercosis. In gender and age distribution of parasitic diseases, men showed higher incidence rates than females, and the age groups of the 40s or older indicated higher infection frequencies than other age groups. Therefore, these results are a significant report to appear the tendency of human parasitic disease diagnosed by tissue biopsy in association with parasitosis at KMC in Seoul.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.41-46
• /
• 2014

The mature domain of a cysteine protease of Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid larva (i.e., sparganum) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and its value as an antigen for the serodiagnosis of sparganosis was investigated. The recombinant protein (rSepCp-1) has the molecular weight of 23.4 kDa, and strongly reacted with the sparganum positive human or mice sera but not with negative sera by immunoblotting. ELISA with rSepCp-1 protein or sparganum crude antigen (SeC) was evaluated for the serodiagnosis of sparganosis using patient's sera. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA using rSepCp-1 protein were 95.0% (19/20) and 99.1% (111/112), respectively. In contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA with SeC were 100% (20/20) and 96.4% (108/112), respectively. Moreover, in experimentally infected mice, the sensitivity and specificity of both ELISA assays were 100% for the detection of anti-sparganum IgG. It is suggested that the rSepCp-1 protein-based ELISA could provide a highly sensitive and specific assay for the diagnosis of sparganosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.57-60
• /
• 2004

A highly specific antigenic protein of 31 kDa from plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni (sparganum) was obtained by gelatin affinity and Mono Q anion-exchange column chromatography. The purified 31 kDa protein was subjected to N-glycan enzymatic digestion for structural analysis. The relative electrophoretic mobility was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, before and after digestion. On SDS-PAGE after enzymatic digestion, the 31 kDa protein showed a molecular shift of approximately 2 kDa, which indicated the possession of complex N-linked oligosaccharides (N-glycosidase F sensitive) but not of high-mannose oligosaccharides (endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, non-sensitive). Chemically periodated 31 kDa protein showed statistically non-significant changes with human sparganosis sera by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Therefore, the dominant epitopes of the 31 kDa molecule in human sparganosis were found to be mainly polypeptide, while N-glycans of the antigenic molecule in sparganum was minimal in anti-carbohydrate antibody production.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.163-168
• /
• 1988

To observe the antigenic protein fractions in saline extract of Spirometra mansoni plerocercoid (sparganum), the crude extract was separated in reducing conditions of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE). The proteins, transferred by celctrophoresis to introcillulose paper, were reacted with sera from 15 surgically confirmed sparganosis and 24 cysticercosis patients for immunoblotting. Out of 30 identified protein bands in the extract, bands of 29 and 36 kilodaltons (kDa) were the strongest and the most frequently reacting with specific antibody (IgG) in sparganosis sera. Bands of highter molecular weight also reacted with the sera but their frequency of reactions was lower. Sera of cysticercosis reacted with different protein bands in saline extract of sparganum, but the cross reactions were observed in strong antigenic bands of 29 and 36 kDa.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.245-254
• /
• 1988

We studied the serological reaction between various antigenic components from Cysticercus cellulosae and IgG antibodies in sera of cysticercosis, sparganosis, hydatidosis patients and normal humans by ELISA and EITB. In serological tests by ELISA, we recognized cross reaction of Cysticercus antigenic components with IgG antibodies in heterologous sera such as sparganosis and hydatidosis patients or normal humans. The crude antigenic components of Cysticercus showed lower ELISA sensitivity in homologous sera from cysticercosis patients than heterologous sera from hydatidosis patients. A total of 31 polypeptide bands with 260 KDa~22 KDa molecular weights were detected by SDS-PAGE, and 11 of them showed strong intensity. Total 22 components of them were recognized by IgG antibodies in cysticercosis patients sera. However, 12 of them were recognized also by normal human sera, 11 were by sparganosis sera, and-21 were by hydatidosis patients sera. The crude antigenic components of 104 KDa, 82 KDa, 72 KDa, 59 KDa and 34 KDa molecular weights were nonspecific ones, which cross-reacted with sera of either cysticerco, =is, sparganosis, hydatidosis patients or normal humans.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.191-200
• /
• 1992

A proteolytic enzyme was purified from the tissue extract of spargana (plerocercoids of Spirometra erinacei) by DEAE-Trisacryl M ion exchange chromatography and thiopropyl-sepharose affinity chromatography resulted in a 21-fold purification. The proteinase activity was assayed with a synthetic fluorescent substrate, carbobensoxy-phenylalanyl-7-amiso-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin. SDS-polyacplamide gel electrophoresis of the purified materials revealed a single 28,000 dalton band. Inhibitor profiles of the band indicated that it belonged to cysteine endopeptidases. It exhibited identical pH curves with optimum at pH 5,5, and 50% activity from pH 4.7 to 8. It could completely degrade collagen chains to three identical products. It also showed some activity on hemoglobin. Furthermore, the band on immunoblots was reactive to the sera of sparganosis patients. These results suggest that the proteolytic enzyme belongs to cysteine proteinase which plays a role in the tissue penetration. Also it may be used as the antigen for diagnosis of active sparganosis.